Shibahara avoids early upset in USTA Girls’ 16s

San Diego – When Ena Shibahara, the top seed at the USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships, looks to the sidelines, she sees more than a few familiar faces.

Watching intently are her Japanese-born parents, alongside her maternal grandparents and brother, Shuhei, 20, a top player himself at UC-Irvine, some 90 miles north of San Diego. Shibahara resides in Rancho Palos Verdes, just north of Los Angeles.

"It’s so great having everyone here to watch me," said Shibahara, after advancing to the round of 64 with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 (5) second-round win over unseeded Ellie Douglas of McKinney, Texas. "My parents see me play a lot, but my grandparents came over from Japan to spend the summer. That’s extra special because they’re both in their 80s."

At home, Shibahara, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, speaks mostly Japanese with her parents and grandparents, though she converses with friends in English.

On-court, Shibahara pounds her ground strokes with a ferocity that belies her slight stature. She’s also very willing to heap praise on her opponents.

"I think there are a lot of better players than me here," she said, "but I’m ready to stay on top because I’m a fighter out there."

Next up for Shibahara is a third-round match Monday against eighth seed Dominique Vasile of Oakland, Mich.

Sachia Vickery of Miramar, Fla., the top seed in the Girls’ 18s, will be in action along with the other Girls’ 18s seeds on Monday, Aug. 5. Matches are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.

The Girls’ 16s tournament will conclude with the finals on Saturday, Aug. 10. The Girls’ 18s division will finish with the finals on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Nearly 400 girls ages 16 and 18 and under are competing for the title of national champion, as well as a wild-card entry into the singles main draw of the US Open Women’s Championships (for the 18s Champion) and a wild card into the US Open Junior Championships (for the 16s Champion). The 18s doubles champions will also receive a wild card into the main draw of the US Open women’s doubles competition.